Great Yong

Biodata

Background / History

Great Yong maintains a military presence on the Northern Frontier, where its City Guards, garrison forces, and border fortresses defend against Northern Barbarian forces. Its basic Arrowhead Formation is used by squads of ten soldiers, while the military rewards battlefield achievement through merit, promotions, Armory resources, and official appointments. 10 22

The empire’s northern defenses include Ice Plain City, Yellow Sand Fortress, and other frontier positions. Great Yong’s troops repeatedly clash with the Manyan Tribe, Prince Yan’s defected army, bandits Beyond the Frontier, Western Rong, and later Great Qin. 28 32 73 97 115

After the Western Rong war reaches a ceasefire, Great Yong remains politically divided between the imperial court, prominent military families, and competing princes. The Seventh Prince seeks influence in the Buffer Zone and attempts to secure the Heavenly King Stronghold as an ally, while the Yong Emperor backs his efforts with the prospect of naming him Crown Prince. 116 141 145

Great Yong later comes into direct conflict with Great Qin. Its Crown Prince seeks cooperation with Lu Yuan before the war, but the empire’s forces are steadily overwhelmed after Lu Yuan becomes Great Qin’s commander-in-chief. 160 167

Government and Society

• Great Yong is ruled by the Yong Emperor, who directs national military policy and manages succession politics among the imperial princes. 120 145
• The Crown Prince, First Prince, Third Prince, Seventh Prince, Prince of Northern You, and Prince of Ze are major political and military figures within the empire. 145 150 160 162
• The Ministry of War receives and houses military personnel arriving in the Great Yong Imperial City. 118
• The Imperial Guard holds elevated social standing and may look down on frontier soldiers because of their background. 118
• Military merit can provide silver, resources, promotion, and rank, though family background remains influential in Great Yong society. 22 115 118

Military

Organization

• City Guards — local military forces stationed in frontier cities and used in campaigns against bandits and hostile scouts. 4 97
• Garrison troops — regular defensive forces that operate alongside City Guards. 97
• Imperial Guards / Imperial Forbidden Army — elite troops concentrated around the imperial capital and deployed in major wars. 118 167 171
• Border armies — frontier forces stationed at locations such as Yellow Sand Fortress. 32 171
• Right Wing Army — a field army involved in the campaign against Prince Yan’s forces. 73

Formations and Equipment

• The Arrowhead Formation is described as Great Yong’s most fundamental military formation. A skilled commander can combine the strength of a squad and lead the formation’s tip through enemy defenses. 10 16
• Great Yong employs powerful siege weapons, including City-Breaker Crossbows, which were used to overwhelm Vulture Ridge’s defenses. 97
• The empire fields renowned generals capable of commanding high-level military formations, including Marquis Wushuang and the Prince of Ze. 174 175

Great Yong Imperial City

The Great Yong Imperial City is vast, densely supplied with spiritual energy, and guarded by powerful Imperial Guards. It contains the Ministry of War and accommodation complexes for visiting military personnel. 118

The Imperial Palace hosts martial competitions involving Great Yong representatives and foreign challengers. During one such competition, the Yong Emperor refuses to end the contest despite Great Yong’s unfavorable position, emphasizing national dignity. 119

Relations with Other Powers

• Northern Barbarians — A longstanding frontier enemy. Great Yong’s scouts and garrisons fight tribes such as the Manyan Tribe, while the empire later seeks to expand influence in the Buffer Zone. 28 32 141
• Western Rong — Great Yong wages a prolonged war against Western Rong before a ceasefire and peace talks are declared. 115 116
• Great Qin — Initially connected through political and military negotiations, Great Yong later launches a major invasion that escalates into a disastrous war. 160 163 167
• Great Yu — Great Yu pressures Great Qin during the Yong–Qin war and later recalls its armies from Great Yong as the balance of power shifts. 163 176
• Eastern Yi and Western Rong — Both monitor the Great Yong–Great Qin conflict and later pressure Great Qin to stop its advance into Great Yong. 174 177

War with Great Qin

Great Yong prepares to attack Great Qin by concentrating one hundred thousand Imperial Guards around Sai City and sending the Duke of Zhenyuan, Xiao Heng, and the Crown Prince to the Northern Frontier. 167

Great Qin rapidly captures Yan and Ji provinces. Yellow Sand Fortress City falls after the Helian Clan opens its gates to Great Qin’s forces; Great Yong troops, including Imperial Forbidden Army soldiers and border troops, are abandoned during the retreat. 171

As Great Qin’s campaign advances, Lu Yuan gathers an army of more than one million men and marches toward Great Yong’s Imperial Capital. The Yong Emperor orders a counterattack, while Marquis Wushuang, Xiao Heng, and the Marquis of Mu City attempt to slow the Great Qin advance. 172

At Song Province, Great Yong’s renowned generals Marquis Wushuang and Prince of Ze confront Lu Yuan’s army. Lu Yuan’s eighth-rank military formation defeats both generals in a single exchange, then Lu Yuan kills the Prince of Ze in personal combat. Great Qin captures two Great Yong provinces within one day and night. 174 175

Following these losses, the Yong Emperor considers relocating the capital and orders General Zhang Xiao to return with the Imperial Guards to defend it. Great Yong later continues attempting to intercept Lu Yuan as other dynasties pressure Great Qin to halt its advance. 176 177

Notable Figures

• Yong Emperor — Great Yong’s ruler; supports the Seventh Prince’s Buffer Zone ambitions, directs the war against Great Qin, and considers relocating the capital after severe defeats. 145 172 176
• Crown Prince — A central imperial figure who seeks to prepare for war against Great Qin; later retreats from Lu Yuan in a secret realm and loses standing during the conflict. 159 160 166
• Seventh Prince — A contender for the throne who seeks control of the Buffer Zone and an alliance with the Heavenly King Stronghold. 141 145
• Prince of Northern You — An influential prince who challenges the Crown Prince’s faction and brings a Void-Roaming Realm disciple to a banquet. 160 162
• Prince of Ze, Li Su — A quasi-famous general and Earth Immortal who possesses a seventh-grade military formation; killed by Lu Yuan during the Great Qin campaign. 162 175
• Marquis Wushuang — A renowned general whose formation is defeated by Lu Yuan; later flees the Northern Frontier campaign. 172 174
• Xiao Heng — Duke of Zhenyuan and a Great Yong commander during the war with Great Qin. 167 172
• Zhou Hongling — A Great Yong fortress captain who recognizes and supports Lu Yuan early in his frontier career. 21 34
• Zhou Xiong — A Great Yong centurion who promotes Lu Yuan to squad leader after recognizing his potential. 4